Gillie is a black labrador born in 2009.

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He has had a very happy and healthy life with few problems other than developing an allergy to chicken following a bout of Gastroenteritis in 2015.  He has had two teeth removed due to his addiction to carrying around large sticks!

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In September 2016 he developed a limp in his front right leg.  X rays didn't reveal anything but a CT scan revealed osteoarthritis in his right elbow and mild changes in his right shoulder.  He had an elbow and shoulder arthroscopy in December 2016 and following a rather traumatic recovery, by May 2017 he was able to enjoy 40 minute walks again with just Metacam every three to four days.

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In January 2018 he became suddenly more lame once again and we returned to Southern Counties Referrals in Ringwood (who I thoroughly recommend) for a repeat CT which showed that the arthritis in his elbow had worsened considerably.  I discussed all options with Phil, the surgeon and decided that on this occasion we would look at non surgical options in the first instance.  Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition so simply removing the fragments again is unlikely to be a long term fix.  Other surgeries are much more invasive and would involve a long recovery period and potential for complications.

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I had heard about Arthramid from a friend who saw a huge improvement in her dog's condition almost immediately and began researching it's use in dogs.  There is very little information online hence this blog which will chart our journey before, during and after the procedure.  

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Gillie is due to have one vial of Arthramid injected into his elbow on March 14th and I will try and give a warts and all account on this blog.